Guernica by Pablo Picasso Essay

A piece of art is not limited to a painting that captures a representation of imagery. Art is anything that stirs emotions in a person or makes them think, just like Marcel Duchamp accomplished in 1917 with one of his most famous pieces Fountain. Art can be anything that captures and represents the artists emotions, mental state, and personality with every brushstroke, and the usage of colors while also reflecting the mentality, thoughts, and major events that occur in a certain period, such as Picasso’s Guernica. To understand the message that the artist is trying to convey, one must look deeper than what is on the surface of the artwork, which is what I will do with this piece of art, scrutinizing its mysteries as well as its motives.

In 1936 the Spanish government commissioned Picasso to paint a feature piece for their international exposition in Paris at the peak of World War II. Picasso was unsure of what to paint until in 1937 when Nazi warplanes bombed the Spanish town of

This paintings powerful message can clearly be seen to the viewer, especially culturally when we see the torn up Constitution of the United States in the background, representing a “free-for-all” on this day as our American beliefs did not matter to the terrorists. We also see the diversity between the three suffering women in handcuffs, showing that this tragedy hit everyone, but we were all bound together as Americans. The visual claims that this event truly was horrific and shows the absolute loss of innocence throughout our nation on this one day. The hands of the men especially show the suffering and anguish our nation felt, as they are deformed, projecting their pain onto the viewer. This work specifically reflects a historical moment in American history in that it depicts the events of September 11th. However, it also shows the future that is to come with the old man who survived passing the information of these events onto the young innocently blindfolded girl on the bottom right. Clearly, this piece is superficial in the sense where it comments on one event, but it also goes deeper, showing the aftermath and actions to come for the American

A large mural, Guernica is an example of Synthetic Cubism painted by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). Created using the medium of oil paint on canvas with a narrow palette consisting of the neutral hues: white, grey and black; the formalist qualities of Guernica can have harrowing effects on the spectator, “But to see it in real life, in its full size, is an even stronger emotional experience. Some people have said they experienced an instant rush of many powerful, fearful emotions” (The Open University, 2016, Block 3, 2.2.2).

It took him over two months to finish it, and it was displayedin the Spanish Pavilion in 1937. Guernica shows the tragedies of war and the suffering it imposesupon individuals, mainly innocent civilians, animals and buildings by violence and chaos. It’sbelieved to have helped bring worldwide attention to the Spanish Civil War. Some critics warnagainst trusting the political message in Guernica. Picasso said he painting exhibits brutality anddarkness. He also stated that the horse inthe painting represented the people ofGuernica. The painting was anindignation on what the war was doingto everyone. As the war went onPicasso’s paintings became more andextra sad and depressing. Death becamethe focus for many of his paintings. In the last years of his life, paintingbecame a fixation with Picasso, and he would date eachpicture with absolute precision, thus creating a vast amount of similar paintings. Picasso died atage 91 in April 1973, becoming one of the most famous and successful artist in history. Hiscareer spanned over a 78-year period, in which he created: 13,500 paintings, 100,000 prints andGuernica, 1937 by Pablo

Pablo Picasso, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century and co-founder of the Cubist movement, was a participant in Europe’s political discourse during most of the early 1900s. Picasso’s Guernica, one of his most powerful political statements, was painted as an immediate reaction to the Nazi’s casual bombing practice on the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. Guernica, a mural-size canvas painted in blue, black, and white oil, shows tragedies of war and the suffering it inflicts upon individuals, particularly innocent civilians. Picasso depicts turmoil, people and animals suffering, with building in disarray torn apart by violence and mayhem. With Guernica, Picasso establishes his identity and his strength as an artist when confronted with political authority and intolerable violence, especially in his native land. Interpretations of the symbolism of Guernica

“Guernica” is one of the most well-known paintings in the world. It was painted by Pablo Picasso in 1937. The painting itself measures 11ftx 26.5ft. “Guernica” depicts the bombing of the Spanish town of Guernica during the Spanish civil war. The whole thing is done in a cubist style not surprising since Picasso is known for his cubism. In the painting there are people and animals alike all of them in pain and or suffering. “Guernica” is also filled with symbolism that Picasso incorporated into it, and hidden messages. The painting is also colorless it only uses black, white and, gray.

The artist’s color usage gives the audience a glimpse into the emotions and tone behind the piece. Both pieces are representations of death in response to political issues by focusing on the context of the artwork rather than visual appeal. The explicit images of death in both “Guernica” and “Gin Lane” relate to both work’s lack of color. Picasso’s painting “Guernica” was a reaction piece influenced by the Spanish Civil War. According to the UK’s History Learning Site, German forces bombed the small town of Guernica killing 1,654 civilians and wounding 889.

Pablo Picasso was considered the greatest artist of the 20th century because of his unique styles and techniques. Pablo Ruiz y Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain on October 25, 1881 to a professor of art named Jose Ruiz Blanco and his wife Maria Picasso Lopez. Because of his fathers’ occupation, Picasso’s talent was quickly noticed and appreciated. Don Jose, an art teacher, moved Picasso and his family to La Coruna and then to Barcelona where he was Picasso’s instructor at the fine arts academy. At the age of 10 Picasso made his first paintings, and performed brilliantly on the entrance exams to Barcelona’s School Of Fine Arts. From there he went to the academy of San Fernando Madrid, and returned to Barcelona in 1900. In

Prior to the bombing of Guernica, Picasso was in the process of creating another piece of art for the Paris Exhibition, but after hearing the horrific news about the bombing of Guernica, Picasso changed his course, and started working on a new mural titled “Guernica.” Guernica was ordered by the Republic of Spain. Picasso’s painting demonstrates his interpretation of the

The word art is an encompassing one, vastly interpreted and with multiple definitions. In the case of Picasso's painting Guernica, art informs, educates and expresses. Its power lies in its ability to capture and compel an audience nearly six decades after the modern world's "other" day of infamy. To understand fully the painting that evolved out of the Spanish painter's outrage, one must know its context. "Why do you think I date everything I do? Because it is not sufficient to know an artist's works--it is also necessary to know when he did them, why, under what circumstances" (Picasso). An appreciator who knows the saga of Spain's historical fishing village is given a depth of experience that only a genius like

Spanish artist Pablo Picasso can often be collectively seen as the greatest and most influential artist of the twentieth century. In a historical sense he encompassed all that is to be a practicing modernist artist and prevailed as one of the most significant artists overall in human history. Picasso’s most well renowned painting presents to his audience a graphic reflection of the horrors and brutality of war; Guernica (1937) depicts the Spanish town of the same name being torn apart by the explosive fury that was the German air raid on the innocent and unaware village during the Spanish Civil War. The painting is currently housed in the Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid yet also has a reputable

Hitler supported Franco but artist like Picasso and Dahli supported the republicans. Then in 1937 a small city in Spain named Guernica was bombed and it caused it stir amongst artists. As a result of the bombing Picasso created his oil painting, Guernica, in 1937. This painting was a representation of what Picasso was probably reading in the newspaper while in Paris. Its monochromatic, black and white color scheme can be compared to a newspaper. The viewer can read the painter from left to right or vice versa. The painting uses symbolism like the bull to represent Spain and the horse falling apart represents dismemberment. Picasso depicts the horrors of the event as people flee from a burning building and a mother holding on to her dead child screams in agony. What made this piece important was Piccaso’s use of his cubist style to voice his political opinion. He made it clear which side he was on and the discontent he held for the misfortune his home faced. The painting was put on tour as a fundraising event that only charged a pair of boots for entry. These boots were then sent to republican soldiers. This was something Pablo Picasso had never done before making this work

For this project I will be going over the medium for Guernica by Pablo Picasso. The medium means the tools and paints used to create the artwork for this particular piece, it also has to do with the technique on how to construct this painting. But first, let me give you a little background of this symbolic painting. Pablo Picasso created this painting in reaction to the aerial bombing over Guernica, Spain by German and Italian forces during the Spanish Civil War back in 1937. After this tragedy, the Spanish Republic asked Picasso to paint a large mural about the bombing for display at the 1937 World’s Fair in Paris. Guernica was painted in remembrance to show the catastrophe of war as well as the anguish and destruction it inflicted on the people of Spain, especially the innocent civilians. The encompassing scenario is set within a room where, in an empty part on the left, a wide eyed bull looms above a woman grieving for a dead child she is holding. The middle of the painting shows a falling over in pain, having been pierced by a spear or lance. One of the focal points of this piece is the gaping wound in the side of the horse After it was completed, Guernica was exhibited to the world during a limited tour, receiving large amounts of recognition and becoming quite famous. This power piece obtain much exposure bring the Spanish Civil War to the world’s awareness. The colors for the painting are black, white, and grey. It is also done with oil paints on an eleven feet tall

It is not about the history, but the context and symbolism behind the breathtaking canvas of Guernica. This masterpiece and iconic painting was Picasso’s most known but least understood work of art. Because the theme of this multifarious artwork is mainly focused around death, Guernica has many cleverly hidden messages and meanings through the surface imagery. Picasso was aware that sideways or inverted imagery could impact an influential subconscious effect on its viewers (Novacaster). Four years of research led to some unbelievable discoveries behind the symbolism of the drawings in Guernica. Throughout this paper I will explain the symbolism behind the hidden images and how this mural impacts me on a personal and emotional level.